The Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court presents Jack and the Beanstalk
Team Washington Irving presents its take on Jack and the Beanstalk by Joseph Jacobs.
March 26, 2019 Joint Inn Meeting Announcement
The Honorable Joseph B. Campbell American Inn of Court (San Bernardino) will be hosting the Joint Meeting of the Inland Empire Chapters of the American Inn of Court on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Details are in the flyer below.
Chamber Chats #3 - Evidence with a Criminal Law Emphasis
On January 29, 2019, during the lunch hour in Courtroom 54 of the Robert Presley Hall of Justice, located at 4100 Main Street, Riverside, California, Hon. Jacqueline Jackson, Hon. Bambi Moyer, and Hon Meredith Jury (Retired) presented the third, and final, Chamber Chats for the 2018-2019 program year.
The Chamber Chats discussed methods to introduce evidence into your cases, hearsay exceptions, and methods of obtaining evidence (subpoena duces tecum and warrants). Plentiful handouts were provided: Hearsay Exception Quik Chart, Analyzing Character Evidence in Criminal Cases and The Criminal Law Evidence Matrix.
Comparisons were made between the California Evidence Code and the Federal Rules of Evidence. The members and potential member (law student intern) learned a lot about the subject.
Thank you Hon. Jacqueline Jackson, Hon. Bambi Moyer, and Hon Meredith Jury (Retired) for your informative discussion!
January 23, 2019 MCLE Presentation
Team Erle Stanley Gardner discussed Cinderella by The Brothers Grimm in its presentation Cinderella: The Case of the Golden Slipper. The team members are Judicial Master Jacqueline Jackson, Attorney Master Mary Anne Forrest, Attorney Master Wendy Seto, Barrister Kelly Moran, Associate Everett Green, and Associate Michelanne Hrubic.
Judge Jackson moderated the program, which began with Attorney Master Wendy Seto providing a press release concerning Cinderella’s lawsuit. Cinderella (Aschenputtel) was portrayed by Attorney Master Mary Anne Forrest. Barrister Kelly Moran provided comments as attorney for the County. Audience members (aka reporters) asked questions of the panel.
The second vignette featured Associate Michelanne Hrubic, soliciting a potential action from Cinderella (Attorney Master Mary Anne Forrest). The attorney was paid $1500 to research issues involving Cinderella’s emancipation, by the Prince. After this consultation, Cinderella was advised that, in order to proceed with the paperwork, it would cost an additional $5000. When Cinderella said she was unable to pay that amount, she was given a business card for Legal Grinder and told to mention the attorney’s name when consulting with them. Questions were asked of the audience.
The final vignette featured Associate Everett Green as a “counselor” at Legal Grinder. He assured Cinderella that all she had to do was answer questions in their proprietary software program to find out her next steps. When questioned about whether he was an attorney, Mr. Green replied he was not and that he was not practicing law since “the program” would be the one to provide advice.
After the presentation concluded, votes were cast as to how Team Erle Stanley Gardner ranked for its presentation on Cinderella by The Brothers Grimm. Results of the votes will be announced at the September 2019 Meeting of the Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court.
January 23, 2019 Dinner Meeting and Announcements
On January 23, 2019, the third meeting of the Leo A. Deegan American Inn of Court was held. President L. Alexandra Fong welcomed the members and also introduced the public service (government) attorneys who accepted the Inn’s invitation to join us for our Government Attorneys Theme Night, as part of the Inn’s professional outreach efforts. These public service attorneys are identified as follows:
Joseph (Joe) Widman, Assistant United States Attorney, Chief of the Riverside Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office
Martin D. Koczanowicz, City Attorney for the City of Moreno Valley
Michael (Mike) Hestrin, Riverside County District Attorney
John Aki, Riverside County Chief Assistant District Attorney
In addition to these public service attorneys, the Deegan Inn was delighted to welcome Emeritus Members Hon. Carol Codrington, Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeals, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, and James Heiting, former President of the State Bar of California.
Ms. Fong made the following announcements to the membership:
The next Chamber Chats is scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, 2019 in Courtroom 54 of the Robert Presley Hall of Justice from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.;
The Hon. Kenneth Fernandez will be having his formal enrobement ceremony on Friday, February 8, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. at the Historic Courthouse, located at 4000 Main Street, Riverside, California. The last day to RSVP is February 1, 2019 to CourtExecutiveOfficer@riverside.courts.ca.gov;
Nominations are being sought for the Terry Bridges Outstanding Attorney Award. Please submit your nomination by April 15, 2019 to Sherri Gomez and the President of the Deegan Inn;
A vacancy will exist for an attorney Board member position. Please submit your interest by May 15, 2019 to Sherri Gomez and the President of the Deegan Inn;
The Joint Meeting of the Inland Empire chapters of the American Inns of Court, hosted by The Honorable Joseph B. Campbell Inn of Court is upcoming, with the date, time and location to be announced at a later date.
The Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court presents Cinderella: The Case of the Golden Slipper
Hon. Kenneth J. Fernandez's Formal Enrobement Ceremony
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to all our members!
Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court Members Participate in Community Outreach
In December 2018, members of the Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court participated in community outreach efforts as follows:
From mid-November 2018 to the present, members participated as Money Elves for The Elves Program, a program of Riverside County Bar Foundation, Inc., the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of Riverside County Bar Association (RCBA). All Inn members are required to be members of RCBA and MCLE credits at Inn meetings are provided by RCBA. Money Elves provide the funds utilized by The Elves Program to shop for gifts requested by needy families in Riverside County. The Elves Program was able to assist sixty-nine (69) families in Riverside County with the assistance of Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court’s generous members, including, but not limited to Hon. Meredith Jury (Ret.), Diana Renteria, Stefanie Field (Gresham & Savage) Megan Demshki (Aitken Aitken Cohn), and Rabia Chaudhry (Varner & Brandt).
On December 10, 2018, members participated as Shopping Elves and met at the K-Mart, located at 7840 Limonite Avenue, Riverside, California, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Each Shopping Elf was provided a shopping list for a family chosen by former RCBA president and Head Elf, Brian Pearcy and a set amount of funds to fulfill the shopping lists of the family. At least sixty families were assisted and, depending on how quickly each elf shopped, they could shop for multiple families.
Inn President L. Alexandra Fong and Inn members Diana Renteria and Erica Alfaro (with her family) were spotted shopping. Additional members may have also been present but as each elf came at different times, it was difficult to find them all.
Inn President L. Alexandra Fong, Inn Member Diana Renteria, Hon. Sunshine Sykes and daughter
Inn member Erica Alfaro and family checks in and receives their shopping list.
Shopping Elves
On December 12, 2018 and December 13, 2018, members participated as Wrapping Elves and met at RCBA’s building, located at 4129 Main Street, Riverside, California, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Inn President L. Alexandra Fong and Inn members Aaron Chandler (with his family), Megan Demshki, Rabia Chaudhry, Erica Alfaro, and Goushia Farook were spotted wrapping gifts. Additional members may have also been present, but as each elf came at different times and there were multiple rooms in which gifts were wrapped, it was hard to spot them all.
Inn member Aaron Chandler (second from left) with his family.
Inn members Megan Demshki, Goushia Farook, and Erica Alfaro (second, third and fourth from left) with their friends.
Inn member Rabia Chaudhry (right) takes a break from wrapping gifts to pose for a picture.
On December 13, 2018, Varner & Brandt LLP, the law firm where Inn member Rabia Chaudhry is employed as an associate attorney, announced that, in coordination with the Inn of Court, RCBA Foundation and the RCBA Barristers, Varner & Brandt LLP and Stater Bros. Markets teamed up to donate all the Stater Bros. gifts cards that were typically purchased by the RCBA Foundation in previous years to help the families with Christmas dinner! These efforts assisted in the RCBA Foundation sponsoring a record number of families this year than in the past.
The Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court members enjoyed spreading holiday cheer in December 2018.
Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court donates to Semper Fi Foundation in honor of Emeritus David G. Moore
As you may recall, Emeritus member David G. Moore passed away in August 2018 (see blog post dated August 22, 2018). The Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court donated $500 to the Semper Fi Foundation, in honor of our Emeritus member, as requested by his family.
December 5, 2018 MCLE Presentation
Team John Mortimer discussed Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault in its presentation Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? The team members are Judicial Master Ken Fernandez, Attorney Master Abram Feuerstein, Attorney Master and Emeritus Peter Mort, Barrister Joshlynn Pulliam, Barrister Gabriel White, Barrister K. Fredric Willis, Associate Laurie Burns and Associate Kiki Manti Engel.
Prior to the commencement of their presentation, Attorney Master and Emeritus Peter Mort regaled the audience as Horace Rumpole of Rumpole of the Bailey, John Mortimer’s most famous work.
Hon. Ken Fernandez led the discussion with a summary of the classic fairy tale, which does not have the happy ending that one is used to….in this fairy tale, grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood die. He summarized the three segments of the presentation, which were performed in teams of two to five.
The first segment was A Glimpse Through The Looking Glass, a juvenile dependency detention hearing which occurred immediately after the events surrounding Red’s death. County of Mortimer’s Child Protective Services sought to detain Red’s sisters, Teenage Red and Preschool Red, from Mother Hood, who allowed her daughter to travel alone through the forest, where she met her untlmely death. Judicial Master Ken Fernandez, Attorney Master L. Alexandra Fong (a guest “team member" for this skit), Barrister Gabriel White, and Associate Kiki Manti Engel portrayed the attorneys and Mother Hood in this vignette.
After this vignette, two commercials were shown with elements of Little Red Riding Hood - the first, a 1980s-era commercial for Sugar Free Dr. Pepper; the second, a 1990s-era commercial for Honey Nut Cheerios.
The second segment was broken into two video clips. The first clip featured Barrister K. Fredric Willis and Associate Kiki Manti Engel, as they showed a client consultation, involving BB Wolf, Inc. dba A Place for Grandma, a nursing home where grandmother was staying. The second clip featured Attorney Master Abram Feuerstein, Barrister K. Fredric Willis and Associate Kiki Manti Engel as they discussed the difficulties they face when dealing with unpopular clients in their practice.
A third commercial was shown, featuring an alarm called “Wolf Alert.” This commercial was voiced by Attorney Master Abram Feuerstein and featured Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma.
The third segment of the presentation discussed aggravating and mitigating factors that went into determining a prison sentence for a crime that had an indeterminate sentence. The audience was to assume that Red and Grandma survived and the Big Bad Wolf had been convicted of physical elder abuse and assault with the intent to commit great bodily injury. Fabulous prizes were handed out to those audience members who were able to correctly identify aggravating and mitigating factors.
After the presentation concluded, votes were cast as to how Team John Mortimer ranked for its presentation on Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault. Results of the votes will be announced at the September 2019 Meeting of the Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court.
December 5, 2018 Dinner Meeting and Announcements
On December 5, 2018, the second meeting of the Leo A. Deegan American Inn of Court was held. President L. Alexandra Fong welcomed the members and also introduced the judicial officers who accepted the Inn’s invitation to join us for our Judicial Theme Night, as part of the Inn’s professional outreach efforts. These judicial officers are as follows:
Hon. Carol Codrington, Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two
Hon. John Vineyard, Assistant Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Riverside
Hon. Roger Luebs, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Riverside
Hon. Jeffrey Prevost, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Riverside
Hon. Chris Harmon, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Riverside
Hon. Kira Klatchko, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Riverside
Hon. Belinda Handy, Commissioner of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Riverside
Hon. Mickie Reed, Commissioner of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Riverside
Ms. Fong also reminded members of the Riverside County Bar Association’s Elves Program, which raises funds for needy families for the holidays. Shopping for presents occurs on Monday, December 10, 2018 at the K-Mart on Limonite Avenue, Riverside, California, starting at 6 p.m. Wrapping presents occurs on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 and Thursday, December 13, 2018 at RCBA, 4129 Main Street, First Floor (Board Room), Riverside, California, starting at 4 p.m. Delivery occurs after December 14, 2018.
Any inquiries regarding the Elves Program should be made to RCBA at rcba@riversidecountybar.com.
The Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court presents Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
October 24, 2018 MCLE Presentation
Team Henry Fielding discussed Rapunzel by The Brothers Grimm in their presentation Rapunzel: A Hairy Tale. The team members are Judicial Master Randall Stamen, Attorney Master Stefanie Field, Attorney Master Eric Keen, Barrister Mark Mellor, Barrister Jean-Simon Serrano, Associate Kristine Borgia and Associate Traci Luis.
Hon. Randall Stamen led off the discussion with a presentation about their team namesake and an introduction into the classic fairy tale…it really is as grim as one would expect from The Brothers Grimm. Three vignettes were performed in teams of two to three members. The first vignette found Barrister Jean-Simon Serrano as The Witch from Rapunzel with flowing red hair and the typical witch’s hat, with a conical crown and a wide brim. The Witch consulted with Barrister Mark Mellor about options in connection with various letters received from the county, while this attorney made sexual advances towards The Witch. Members of the audience were involved in the discussion.
The second vignette showcased Attorney Master Stefanie Field and Attorney Master Eric Keen (who will take his oath of office as a judge on October 25, 2018). They were engaged in a pre-trial conference, discussing how to get evidence obtained illegally (a recorded conversation between The Witch and Rapunzel’s birth mother) into the criminal case involving The Witch. Members of the audience were involved in the discussion.
The third vignette involved Barrister Jean-Simon Serrano, Associate Kristine Borgia and Associate Traci Luis. In this vignette, Mr. Serrano was The Prince, being deposed by The Witch’s attorney, Ms. Luis, who was being obstructed with every question posed by The Prince’s attorney, Ms. Borgia. A discussion was held as to what types of sanctions could be imposed upon the parties for their conduct at the deposition. Members of the audience were involved in the discussion.
After the presentation concluded, votes were cast as to how Team Henry Fielding ranked for its presentation on Rapunzel by The Brothers Grimm. Results of the votes will be announced at the September 2019 Meeting of the Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court.
October 24, 2018 Dinner Meeting and Announcements
On October 24, 2018, the first dinner meeting and MCLE presentation for the Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court was held. President L. Alexandra Fong welcomed Inn members to the meeting and discussed a few Inn matters as follows:
Congratulations to Irma Asberry for being named as the Justice Champion by the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc.
Congratulations to Commissioner Kenneth Fernandez and Attorney Eric Keen for being appointed as Judges of the Riverside Superior Court
Reminder to RSVP with your dinner selection and any guest speakers at least one week prior to the team presentation
Reminder that each team should provide the title and type of MCLE to the Inn President and Administrator at least one week prior to that team’s presentation for preparation of MCLE certificates and advertisement for the CLE
Guest speakers are welcome for any team presentation as long as the team covers the $35 per person for dinner
In March 2019, the Deegan Inn will host an Open House, where current members of the Inn may invite attorneys or judicial officers whom they believe would be interested in joining the Inn for the next program year. The cost for dinner is $35 per person
Immediately following these announcements, Team Henry Fielding began its presentation.
The Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court presents Rapunzel, A Hairy Tale
Download PDF of the flyer
Congratulations to Kenneth Fernandez and Eric Keen!
The Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court would like to congratulate two of its members for their appointments as judges of the Riverside Superior Court!
Kenneth Fernandez
Kenneth J. Fernandez, 52, of Anaheim, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Riverside County Superior Court. Fernandez has served as a commissioner at the Riverside County Superior Court since 2004. He served as a deputy district attorney at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office from 1993 to 2004. Fernandez earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He fills the vacancy of a new position created on July 1, 2018. Fernandez is a Democrat.
Eric Keen
Eric A. Keen, 47, of Riverside, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Riverside County Superior Court. Keen has served as supervising deputy public defender at the Riverside County Public Defender’s Office since 2008, where he has served in several positions since 1997. He was an associate at Stephen H. Tyler, A Professional Law Corporation from 1995 to 1997. Keen earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Western State University College of Law, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Redlands and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Riverside. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles E. Stafford. Keen is a Republican.
Fair Housing Council of Riverside County Inc. honors Riverside Superior Court Judge Irma Poole Asberry
On October 4, 2018, Fair Housing Council of Riverside County Inc. will honor Riverside Superior Court Judge (and Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court Judicial Master) Irma Poole Asberry as the Justice Champion. She, along with 7 other recipients in other categories, will be recognized at the Sixteenth Annual Champions For Justice Awards Banquet, held at the Riverside Convention Center.
Reservations may be made here.
September 26, 2018 Orientation Meeting
On September 26, 2018, President L. Alexandra Fong welcomed the new members of the Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court (“Deegan Inn”) at the New Member Orientation, held at 5:45 p.m.. The Attorney Masters of the Deegan Inn met and voted to approve the amended bylaws at 6:00 p.m.
The orientation began at approximately 6:20 p.m. where all members of the Deegan Inn were welcomed. Ms. Fong began the orientation by introducing the members of the Board. Ms. Fong announced the Board’s decision to honor two past members and founders of the Deegan Inn with Emeritus Status - The Honorable Robert J. Timlin was posthumously awarded this honor. Mrs. Caroline Timlin, Judge Timlin’s widow, was present to accept this honor.
Guest speaker and founding member, Stanley Orrock, was also awarded this honor. Mr. Orrock spoke about the founding of the Deegan Inn, including Judge TImlin’s legacy in its creation and the ideals of the American Inns of Court. After this rousing speech, Ms. Fong discussed the Welcome Packet that each member of the Deegan Inn received, providing them with information about the Deegan Inn and the American Inns of Court.
Ms. Fong announced the winner of the Hon. Douglas E. Weathers Honorary Member Award - Hon. Meredith Jury, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge (Retired). Judge Jury accepted the award and advised the members that she wanted to be active in the Inn.
Ms. Fong announced the best team presentation winner - Team John Morton - for their presentation on Combating Human Trafficking: The Human and Legal Dimensions of the Crisis. Team Morton is comprised of Judicial Master Sherri Pym, Judicial Master Jennifer Gerard, Attorney Master Marlene Allen, Attorney Master Yoginee Braslaw, Attorney Master Abram Feuerstein, Attorney Master Nicholas Firetag, Attorney Master L. Alexandra Fong, Barrister Kelly Moran, Barrister Dani Mouri, and Associate Rebecca McKee.
Ms. Fong announced the theme for the year - fairytales - and the team names - writers who are also attorneys.
The judicial masters of each team gathered to pick their team name, fairytale, and presentation date. They are identified as follows:
Team Henry Fielding, led by the Hon. Randall Stamen, presents on Rapunzel (Brothers Grimm) on October 24, 2018.
Team John Mortimer, led by Hon. Kenneth Fernandez, presents on Little Red Riding Hood (Charles Perrault) on December 5, 2018.
Team Erle Stanley Gardner, led by Hon. Jacqueline Jackson, presents on Cinderella (Brothers Grimm) on January 23, 2019.
Team Washington Irving, led by Hon. Irma Asberry, presents on Jack and the Beanstalk (Joseph Jacobs) on March 27, 2019.
Team Franz Kafka, led by Hon. Bambi Moyer and Hon. Meredith Jury, presents on Snow White (Brothers Grimm) on April 24, 2019.
Team Louis Auchincloss, led by Hon. Dorothy McLaughlin and Hon. Jennifer Gerard, presents on their community service project on May 22, 2019.
Deegan Inn members were reminded to meet with their teams at least once a month, before and after their team presents.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:15 p.m.
Emeritus David G. Moore has passed
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court Emeritus member David G. Moore.
His obituary may be read here.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Semper Fi Fund, Box 555193, Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5193. (www.semperfifund.org) or a charity of the donor’s choise. A gathering to celebrate David's life will take place on Sunday, September 9 at 5 p.m. at the Riverside Art Museum, 3425 Mission Inn Avenue.
